And I Swore Then I Would Love You to the End of My Days
by CastielAndTheBlueBox
Summary: In which Natasha goes into labor, there are revelations in the waiting room, questions are popped and announcements are made. Sequel to 'It Wasn't Love'.


_**A/N: As stated in my author's note in the previous story, I wasn't going to continue this. But you asked and I complied! While this doesn't focus so much on the Nat/Bruce relationship so much as the others in the team, I hope you enjoy this as you did the last one (also, most of this was written between 2 and 3am. I'm tired, so if it's shit I'm sorry. All mistakes are my own.)**_

She was a week past her due date when her water finally, _finally_ broke.

Now, this, at the beginning, was a relief. To know that in a few small hours she'd actually be able to move again.

However, the fact of the matter was, that with birthing, came contractions, and with contractions came a pain Natasha could honestly say was worse than a gunshot wound, and as a woman who'd had experience with both, it was a fair comparison.

So, heaving herself out of bed, she told JARVIS to let Bruce know she'd gone into labor, and got her things ready, trying to ignore the pain going on in her abdomen (though, to be honest, it was impossible).

Of course, apparently the damn AI couldn't keep it between her and Bruce. So she opened her door and a whole team of Avengers were there, plus their significant others.

And, well, Darcy and Clint, but it was basically guaranteed they were going to hook up. If Natasha had to listen to another tale of The Magnificence of Clint Barton's Biceps one more time, there would be death and destruction occuring in the Tower.

* * *

The whole team was nervous, not that they'd admit it. From inside the room, they could hear garbled curses, which both Steve and Clint confirmed were mostly an odd mixture of Russian, German, French, Italian and English.

Darcy was sat in the corner of the room, seemingly immersed in a game, but the fact that there was no sign of actual playing, and the part where she was staring at Clint with a predatory look was enough to confirm that she was not, in fact, doing anything of the sort.

Clint himself was occasionally throwing glances in the direction of the lab assistant, though only when he was sure she wasn't looking. He was much more subtle than she was, and it would take another SHIELD agent (or a less nervous Pepper Potts) to actually see what was going on.

Steve looked... well, disturbed, frankly. He'd never hung around very many pregnant women back in the day, having been socially awkward around anything remotely female (until Peggy... and his heart still hurt to think of her, but he couldn't let it get to him, because she had a life now, she was older than him, physically and mentally, and she had a family. She didn't need him). He flinched at every scream and swear, and had a look on his face that resembled the one he had on when he wasn't sure whether he should be saving someone or not.

Tony also looked nervous, though for a completely different reason. He was fiddling with something in his jacket pocket, swallowing and looking around every few moments. No one seemed to notice, however, and for that the man would be forever grateful. Tony Stark didn't get _nervous._ Of course not.

Then there was Pepper, who looked like she was going to have a panic attack. She wasn't good with this sort of gooey, icky, _human_ stuff. The kind of thing she did with Tony? Fine. Actually doing the whole pushing-a-tiny-human-being-out-of-you thing? No thank you (not to mention Natasha, despite her faults, was her friend, and she sounded like a dying woman in there).

Thor and Jane were the only ones who seemed relatively normal in the whole place. And that was saying something, as every time Natasha threatened Bruce or begged them to 'just get the damn thing out of her' he bellowed "Friend Natasha, Friend Bruce! Do not fret! You will soon be parents to a happy and healthy babe!" to which he often got the reply from Natasha of-

"Shut the fuck up, Thor, and tell me this when _you're _the one pushing a 'happy and healthy babe' out of your vagina!"

Jane, however, did seem a little nervous, casting furtive glances in the general direction of the room.

* * *

It was Tony who broke first, under the general pressure of keeping something to himself.

He'd never been good at that, and it was clear he wasn't about to start.

Before he knew it, he was on his knees in front of Pepper, and the strawberry blonde was staring back at him, eyebrows raised, wondering if her brilliant-minded (but generally childish) boyfriend had finally cracked (if she was honest, she'd been waiting years for it to happen).

And then he took out the box and said the words.

"Virginia Potts, will you marry me?"

The initial reaction, prior to his words actually sinking in, was to kick him. She hated being called Virginia, and he knew it.

Her second reaction... wasn't much of a reaction. Rather, she sat, her mouth hanging open, staring at him, not saying a word. The room had gone silent, with varying degrees of shock- Steve stared at Tony, in a daze, Clint and Darcy both looked like they'd just received the shock of their lives, a huge, stunned grin spread across Thor's face, and Jane dropped her book.

But within moments, Pepper was nodding, and crying a little, and Tony gave a wavering, relieved smile as he slipped the ring onto her finger and kissing her. There was a woop from behind and Thor yelled "Congrats to Lady Pepper and Man of Iron on your engagement!"

And from the birthing room? A scream of "Potts, I'd better be a bridesmaid!" followed by more swearing.

* * *

Darcy and Clint broke next.

The rest of the room had fallen asleep, and so the young assistant made her way across the room, sitting next to the archer, causing him to sigh.

"What do you want, Lewis?" he asked, and she pouted.

"I'm _bored." _she replied, sounding every bit the petulant child.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" he asked, and she smirked, raising her eyebrows and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I can think of a _few _things..." she replied, with a small smirk. Clint rolled his eyes, though his ears tinted red.

"Uh, no Darcy. You're too young for me. And anyway. Is it really appropriate to have sex while there's a pregnant woman nearby?" he asked, though it wouldn't take much to make him amiable to the idea.

"C'mon. We can find a nice closet and-" she was cut off by his lips on hers, and he half-carried her to the supply closet.

"Five bucks says you bash your head on a shelf." he mumbled as he worked on her buttons.

"You're on."

* * *

After twelve hours of labor, Natasha Romanov had given birth to a healthy baby girl.

They'd named her Rebecca, after Bruce's mom, and she had her father's hair, and her mother's smile (on the rare occasions she let one slip).

Bruce sat with his girls (Natasha would _kill _him if she knew he'd thought of her as that. Just friends, he reminded himself), and couldn't help but feel he was the luckiest man alive. That despite everything he'd done, everyone he'd killed, he could still have... this.

The others had come and gone, and Natasha hadn't even commented on the obvious just-fucked look of Darcy and Clint. She was too delirously happy to comment (though, she had pointed out that Steve should probably find someone. The supersoldier had just blushed, bless him).

Jane had also said the words, as the baby was handed to her, that she'd clearly been holding in all day.

"We're gonna need the practice."

So, a happy Thor had left, and Jane had been about to leave when Natasha had grabbed her wrist. The astrophyscist had looked confused, as the assassin rarely spoke to her. The words were just simple advice.

"Don't turn down an epidural."

The reply had been with a laugh. "Hello. God baby. I think I'll need it."

It was then, however, sitting with his daughter and the woman he'd grown to love, that Bruce looked over at Natasha, biting his lip, and said the words that had been at the edge of his field of thoughts for a long time.

"I love you."

And for the first time in her life...

Natasha Romanov said it back.


End file.
